Hearts B 6-0 Berwick Rangers

Hearts B 6-0 Berwick Rangers

Lowland League

Tuesday 17th October 2023

Three points!

Six goals!

Four more for Mak Kirk!

A clean-sheet!

Back up to second in the Lowland League!

Whatever positive you choose to focus on, this was another brilliant night for the Hearts B Team boys (and a pleasure to be there to see it) as they were comfortable winners over Berwick Rangers at Ainslie Park.

In a repeat of last season’s scoreline when the two teams met on the opening day, on that occasion there was probably a touch of good fortune about the 6-0 result as things opened up after the red card incident. 

This time around, Berwick could have no arguments as Hearts were ruthless, rampant, totally dominated the vast part of the game, scored some decent goals, could even have had a few more - and there’s even scope to say the Wee Jambos still had enough in them to go up a few more gears throughout the game as well!

Hearts’ performance got better as the game went on and after a tight first 15 minutes where Berwick looked as if they might exploit a couple of spaces at the back and pose a threat, the opener came at the other end as Ryan Duncan’s cross into the box was flicked on by Mak Kirk. The Berwick ‘keeper did well to get down and deny him out but Luke Rathie was on-hand to gobble up the loose ball and smash it emphatically into the back of the net.

That settled Hearts down and gradually they took charge of things.

Over the next 10 minutes, Murray Thomas flashed a free-kick over from 25 yards after Mak Kirk (I think) was fouled when the referee tried to play advantage, Callum Sandilands’ brilliant through ball saw the visiting ‘keeper rush off his line to claim it in one of those instances where it looked as if the goalie might have handled it outside the box, and the Berwick ‘keeper was panicking again when he scrambled back to tip over one of Big Muz’s famous cross-shots that looked like it might drop into the net!

Alarm bells were ringing in the Berwick defence by this point (and literally in the ground too because someone’s car alarm also started sounding just as Hearts took a corner) and the boys executed it to perfection. Bobby McLuckie, Murray Thomas and Ryan Duncan all combined in a quick, short passing routine that made space. It was clever. It was piercing. It was incisive. Nobody picked up McLuckie when he got the ball back from RD and his ball across the box was tapped home by Mak Kirk for his 14th league strike of the season.

Berwick protested for offside, they weren’t happy with the linesman - you can judge for yourself whether it was on/off as it’s one of the rare occasions I got a goal on video, and with the visitors still spewing over how they’d gone 2-0 down, very quickly they became masters in their own downfall as they cheaply conceded possession inside their own half. Ryan Duncan found himself clean through and played in Mak Kirk for the simplest of finishes - and at 3-0 with just over half-an-hour gone, it now seemed like it was going to be one of those long and ominous nights for Berwick!

Before the break, Bobby McLuckie went close to adding a fourth as he continued to torture his man down the left-hand side and cause all sorts of carnage with his intelligence, footwork and movement (top stuff and one of the best games I’ve seen him have), Ryan Duncan (all over the place with so much energy and making things happen) also went close with a cross-shot that he flashed across the six-yard box and even Harry Gordon (who had a decent game picking up lots of bits and pieces and performing like a diamond in the middle) could have scored when he got into the box, over-cooked it, and was thwarted.

Things didn’t get much better after half-time for Berwick because even though they survived an early scare when Adam Forrester was judged to have been brought down just outside the box rather than in it (and it looked close), they gifted Hearts another goal around the hour mark which completely killed off any hopes of an unlikely comeback.

The goal that made it 4-0 was possibly the biggest gift of them all as the out-of-position Berwick ‘keeper, out wide, attempted to clip the ball to his team-mate in a more central area but only succeeded in playing it straight to Mak Kirk who cushioned it well and then drilled it into an empty net from about 25 yards on the half-volley to claim his second hat-trick already this month. Fine technique! A fine finish! But also very much a ‘Did that just really happen’ moment from a defensive perspective!

Hearts could have had a few more before they made it 5-0 as Kenzi Nair very nearly threaded a ball through to Callum Sandilands who would have got onto it had Berwick’s big No.5 not slid in and got a toe-end to the ball to nip it away in the nick of time - and there were a couple of other instances where Sandilands and others were waiting in good positions inside the box but things just didn’t quite drop for them!

I was starting to think Callum wouldn’t get on the score-sheet (seemed like it might be one of those nights - and shades of the game at Falkirk in the Youth Cup two years ago, the first time I ever saw him play) but when he did then what a goal it was!

Mak Kirk’s dummy put him in space about 30-35 yards out following Luke Rathie’s ball forward. Had he taken a couple of touches or tried to run at Berwick’s No.5, he’d have probably been wiped out but instead he lifted the ball over the ‘keeper (high off his line) and straight it into the net - sumptuous, sublime, sensational and straight out of the spectacular from Sandilands who rushed to the corner to celebrate near Foxy! No, not the gaffer, but instead the furry one who made an appearance at the game the other week - and seems to quite like watching the B Team!

At this point, the only thing left for the boys to do was equal the scoreline from last season’s fixture and in injury-time they did so. McLuckie deserved a goal because his attitude, endeavour, application and quality he produced throughout the game was so good, but in the end he had to settle for another assist as having got in-behind yet again down the left, he cut the ball back for Mak Kirk to rifle it into the roof of the net!

BOOM! 6-0! A very good feeling indeed that will do everyone’s confidence wonders! And Kirky’s now on 17 league goals for the season! 

On the whole, Hearts will face a lot tougher challenges than what Berwick presented. They tried but were ultimately taken apart by a clinical team who dominated, dictated things, visibly grew in confidence as the game went on (always massive as it makes things so much easier) and the lads played really well. 

Everywhere you look on the pitch there were positives for Hearts and good contributions!

Liam McFarlane will be pleased with his clean-sheet; the save at the end (in the very short time the scoreline was 6-0) was decent as he showed his agility to get down to his near-post and keep it out, and arguably the big man’s best contribution in this game were 2 or 3 ‘direct’ downfield balls which were very searching (not wasted or aimless) and they very nearly put his team-mates clean through. It caused Berwick problems! He commanded his box well and will be happy with this night’s work so keep it all up because it’s good to see!

Kenzi Nair (clever ball through to Callum in the second half) and Luke Rathie (always good to see the skipper score and good discipline in managing himself after the early yellow card) were both solid and did what was required of them at centre-back and partnered each other well. It wasn’t the biggest test they’ll face this season so it was very much a case of ‘Job done, mission accomplished, onto the next one’ from their perspective. Alongside them, Adam Forrester (great to see him playing again) added his quality at RWB with some decent contributions - including winning the ball back in deep positions a few times early on which set the tone for a very good team performance. Bailey Dall was just as effective on the left; similarly nipping in to win things (two very good bits in the first half), reading the game well, creating space quite effectively and being involved higher up (including a chance for Bobby just after half-time), adding his ability and Berwick’s player was clearly a massive fan of Dalldini considering he was trying to rip the shirt off his back about a minute before the final whistle to stop him bursting clear! Top work and always a pleasure to watch BD buzzing around and impacting things!

In midfield, Callum Sandilands is in danger of looking like a mummy by Halloween if he adds any more strappings to his wrist/hand which has more bandages on it than you’d find in a first aid box. He didn’t quite scare away the fox when he celebrated his goal (and I don’t think there was a piggy back this week either after any of the goals) but he took up some great positions throughout the game, played 2 or 3 good through balls in the first half - including the one where the ‘keeper might have handled it outside his box, before the goal itself was pure quality and underlined absolutely everything that’s class about Callum’s game - from the vision, awareness, technique, intelligence, execution and audacity to even try it. Simply sublime!

Harry Gordon had a good game as well; dropping in to win lots of bits and pieces in the middle, being quite creative a few times too (liked that aspect a lot) and the only thing I’d have liked to see him do is just take one or two less touches inside the box when he was in positions to shoot and instead just welly it because he could have had a goal in this game. But another performance which really underlined his value and his qualities. As I’ve said before, if you just solely watch Harry Gordon specifically for a 10-15 minute spell in a game then you can really begin to appreciate what a good player he is; exactly how much he adds, and how effectively he can impact things. It deserves plaudits and when he’s on top of his game and full of belief, then with all the other quality that he’s surrounded by, these are the results you get. Nothing but respect and appreciation for HG!

Ryan Duncan also contributed plenty in the first half and popped up in all the big moments and similarly had 1 or 2 chances (he will score soon); Bobby McLuckie was absolutely outstanding and once his confidence went up, whenever the ball went to his feet you always felt that something could happen (top class and one of the best games I’ve seen him have - especially that 15-20 minute spell leading up to half-time where he just had his man on toast and was causing carnage). Mak Kirk will be buzzing to have bagged ANOTHER four goals which keeps his goals-per-game ratio at an outstanding level that will get his name noticed by people far and wide in Scottish Football, and although Murray Thomas had a quiet-ish night, he still very nearly scored when he had the ‘keeper scrambling, was involved in a couple of goals, and overall will be pleased to have got more minutes under his belt as he continues his comeback from injury.

And off the bench, Mack Ross could have had a goal in one instance (always a pleasure to watch him as he’s got so much talent for his age), whilst Harvey Chisholm and Rocco Friel will be pleased to have got some minutes and will be hoping for more in upcoming games.

As I’ve said so many times, I always love watching this team because there’s so much quality within it and it’s still my intention to trek up here and get to (at least) a double-figure amount of B Team games this season. I can tell from a mile off these are a good set of lads and I’d recommend anyone else locally to do the same because if you want a decent night out watching some talented young players who are capable of producing quality more often than not, you won’t be disappointed.

Everyone involved in this game ought to take a lot of confidence from the ruthlessness in both boxes, to the clinical finishing, to the composure and the dominance. It was a good performance and the scoreline was very much merited and thoroughly deserved.

A pleasure to be there to see it!

A very enjoyable night!

And now I’m really in the mood for Friday’s game against Celtic B - most likely a tougher game but with confidence, self-belief, hunger and a desire for even more, anything is possible!

Up the Hearts B Team!

Team: Liam McFarlane, Bailey Dall, Bobby McLuckie, Callum Sandilands, Mak Kirk, Murray Thomas (Mack Ross), Harry Gordon, Kenzi Nair, Adam Forrester (Rocco Friel), Ryan Duncan (Harvey Chisholm), Luke Rathie. Unused Subs: Jack McConnell, Kai Smutek, Gregor Crookston, Alex Walker.